The top of the Eastern Conference

As we near the playoffs, the Eastern Conference is rounding into form as the Pistons, Celtics, Cavaliers and Knicks separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Let’s dive into each team and what strengths and (more importantly) weaknesses they have. This is not a ranking, these teams are in order based on the standings, so don’t get offended.

1. Pistons, 43-14

The Detroit Pistons are among the best teams in the NBA. With the 3rd best record, the 10th best offense, the 2nd best defense and the 2nd best net rating in the league, the Pistons have asserted themselves as title contenders. They are among the most physical teams in the league and are an elite offensive rebounding team. They have the 2nd best offensive rebounding rate in the NBA at 34.5%. Cade Cunningham is probably the best player in the conference right now, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum out. It is his defense that is so underrated. Among guards, Cunningham is in the 98th percentile in blocks and 64th percentile in steals, averaging 2.5 stocks (steals and blocks) per game. He is such a great player who gets it done on both ends every night. The main worry for the Pistons has to be their shooting, or lack thereof. 22nd in three point percentage and 27th in three point volume on the season is a problem. How often can they play Ausar Thompson with a center in a playoff series? You can’t have Duren, Thompson and Ron Holland on the floor at the same time because teams just won’t guard Thompson and Holland and their spacing will become cramped. It is also really hard to play in the playoffs, the 2nd round and Conference Finals are every other day with insane intensity. How well will their defense and offensive rebounding hold up? On the flipside of that, playing the Pistons who play with that intensity is going to wear teams down in a playoff series. They are tough, physical and hungry, the recipe for a really deep playoff run. Their lack of shooting is a massive concern but this is absolutely a team that can represent the east in the NBA Finals.

2. Celtics, 38-20

The Boston Celtics are one of the most surprising teams in the NBA. Ranked 2nd in offense, 7th in defense and 3rd in overall net rating. Jaylen Brown’s leap is a main catalyst for this, averaging 29.1 points per game. Brown is having the type of season many thought he could not have. He is scoring the ball at will, his mid range game is insane to watch right now. Yet, Brown is not the only thing the Celtics have going for them, Boston does a lot of things really well. We all know about the three pointers but they hammer the offensive glass grabbing 32% of their own misses, 5th in the NBA. Their defense has been lights out over the last few weeks and Derrick White should be in the DPOY conversation. I just don’t know if this team can win the title without a return of Jayson Tatum. I don’t think they have enough ballhandling without Tatum. Even if he isn’t quite Jayson Tatum, Boston needs some kind of version of him to make a real run at the Finals. There is a lot of Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez happening for the Celtics right now and it worries me. I just am struggling to trust them in a playoff series. I think Payton Pritchard is a huge key to the Celtics chances. He has been great since moving back to a bench role but he can disappear sometimes against really good teams. For example, he scored 3 points in Wednesday’s loss against Denver and 6 points in the Celtics February 8th loss against the Knicks. Whether Tatum returns or not, Boston is going to need production out of Pritchard in the playoffs. Boston is really good but I think they need something from Tatum to win the conference.

3. Knicks, 37-22

The New York Knicks are a really good basketball team, ranked 3rd in offense, 12th in defense and 7th in overall net rating. Jalen Brunson remains the offensive engine but this team needs more out of Karl-Anthony Towns on that end. He is scoring less, making less shots (from both inside and outside the arc) and his defense remains bad. New York needs him to be better, especially on offense where he just has not had a typical KAT season. OG Anunoby has been their 2nd best player all season, his defense has been all-defensive team worthy and his offensive game has been good too. We know the Knicks will dominate the offensive glass with Mitchell Robinson in the game and get a ton of extra possessions out of that. He rebounds 22% of his own team's misses, the highest clip in the NBA. New York does have their problems. First, their point guard and center are bad defenders, there is nothing they can do about that right now. It is not good but they can survive it. Now, can they win the title with it? I am unsure of that. The Knicks also need to get Deuce McBride back. Jose Alvarado is a good player but McBride is so important to everything they do with his shooting, secondary playmaking and defense, they need to get him back. Lastly, they have been very streaky this season. One stretch of the season they look like they are among the best teams in the NBA and another they look like they’ll be picking at the top of the draft. One bad week in the playoffs can end your season and New York needs to prevent that from happening.

4. Cavaliers, 37-23

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a rough start to the season. On December 27th, Cleveland was 17-16 and in 8th place in the east. Since that point they are 20-7 and have risen to 4th place, even getting to 3rd on February 20th. They rank 8th in offense, 11th in defense and 9th in net rating for the season. They were the most active team out of any of these teams during the trade deadline. James Harden is an upgrade to Darius Garland. They needed to get better right now and that deal did just that. I don’t love the Dennis Schroder fit. They have Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Craig Porter Jr. and now Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder are being thrown into the backcourt mix. This is a very guard heavy team. Max Strus being out has hurt them a lot as well. They miss his shooting and ability to guard. I don’t trust the bigs. How long have we been waiting on the Evan Mobley offensive breakout? The three point isn’t reliable enough to be considered a real weapon, the post-up game isn’t that great and the passing just hasn’t popped at all. Sure, Harden will feed him more lobs but the complete offensive game we were all hoping for just has yet to come. He is one of the best defenders in the NBA, however, so he is needed for Cleveland to accomplish their goals because the rest of the defense is lacking. Jarrett Allen is another guy I don’t trust. Harden has boosted his stats and Allen is among the best lob threats in the sport but the rest of his game is lacking. He is a solid rim protector but not a great one, he doesn’t guard well in space and he has practically no bag offensively that he can go to. I just don’t trust either of these big men to do enough so Cleveland can accomplish their goals.

All four teams at the top of the Eastern Conference are really good. However, all four have fatal flaws that will hurt them come playoff time. Of course, the biggest X factor in all of this is Jayson Tatum. If he comes back he changes the way we view the east and, depending on how good he is, Boston would instantly become the favorite, in my opinion. I really don’t know who is going to win the Eastern Conference right now. I picked Cleveland in the preseason but how can you trust the Cavaliers? What about the Knicks? The Pistons have been the best team and will be the top seed but their lack of shooting is such an issue. Does Boston have enough top end talent without Tatum? There are a lot of questions as we move forward in the playoffs.